The State of Tennessee has a complicated and subjective system of granting alimony, which is payment of financial support from one spouse to another. Alimony in Tennessee is divided into four categories: 1. Rehabilitative Alimony This type of alimony is largely self-explanatory. If one spouse needs to undergo more education in order to become self-sufficient, rehabilitative alimony will make this happen. 2. Alimony in Futuro Alimony in futuro can be paid over and above rehabilitative alimony. If a former wife has received additional education (via rehabilitative alimony) and has increased her earning level but she still makes far less than Read more

Prior to 2005, Tennessee child support calculations were based on a percentage of the net income of the non-custodial parent, typically the father. Tennessee child support was centered on the “displaced female worker” principle where Mommy got the mine and Daddy got the shaft. Now Tennessee has entered the 21st Century in child support directives, albeit a little bit late. With more moms in the workplace making money, sometimes even more than their estranged or ex-husbands, the Tennessee legislature took on the task of factoring societal changes into the calculation of child support. Tennessee’s child support laws use the “income Read more

Judges’ attitudes on child custody issues don’t change overnight, but a new Tennessee child custody law is helping to jumpstart parenting-time decisions. The new Tennessee parenting time law reads as follows: “In taking into account the child’s best interest, the court shall order a custody arrangement that permits both parents to enjoy the maximum participation possible in the life of the child consistent with the factors set out below, the location of the residences of the parents, the child’s need for stability and all other relevant factors.” Tennessee’s First Step This law is a first step in equalizing the parenting Read more